Track sprinkler



Sept. 25,-19278. 1,685,581

W. H. WHALEN TRACK SPRINKLER Filed Oct. 5,1925

Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRACK SPRINKLER.

Application filed October 5, 1925. Serial No. 60,663.

My invention is a track sprinkler attached to a locomotive tender to utilize the water carried in the tank of the tender to allay the dust and sand on sections of the railway where the draft of the train would otherwise raise clouds of dust which are particularly obnox ious in certain sections of the country.

My invention may be considered as an improvement on the track sprinkler of my Patent No. 1,512,324 dated October 21, 1924.

An object of my invention is to provide a sprinkling equipment which may be readily installed on locomotives which may be shifted from one part of the railroad. to operate in sandy and dusty districts and also to allow readily dismantling the installation in trans ference of locomotives and their tenders from the dusty to other divisions of the roads.

Another feature of my invention is to provide a valve control which is readily accessible to the fireman or engine driver and to install a valve of such nature that there is little chance of its jammingand preventing opening or closing when desired.

The installation is planned somewhat in.

the same manner as described in my prior patent, to withdraw and utilize the water in the upper part of the tank, leaving a residual amount which is of such quantity as to carry the locomotive from one water station to the next. I

My invention will be more readily understood from the following description and drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward part of a locomotive tender showing the installation of my sprinkling system and the valve control.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the locomotive tender, indicating the position of the sprin kler installation, the control valve and the control hand wheel therefor, taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the tender taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings the locomoth'e tender is designated generally by the numeral 1 and has i the usual water tank 2 with a forwardly extending foot plate 3 adapted to connect with the foot plate of the locomotive. The coupling to connect the tender to the locomotive is designated diagrammatically by the element 4, it being understood that the tender is coupled to the locomotive in the usual manner and that the installation of my sprinkler system does not require any change in this regard or in the control of the locomotive.

In my sprinkling installation I install a globe valve 5 coupled close to the forward plate 6 of the water tank of the tender and attach a valve rod 7 to the usual valve stem 8.

This stem passes through the footplate 3 and 7 through the guide bracket 9 and at the upper end thereof has a conveniently positioned hand wheel 10 for opening and closing the V beside the lower peripheral surface of thetank. A back lead pipe 15 extends along the tank of the tender from the return bend to a position behind the forward truck. A drop pipe 16 is connected to the lead pipe by an el bow 17 and this drop pipe is connected to a cross pipe 18 by means of an elbow 19 the cross pipe leading transversely below theiank of the tender to a position substantially midway between the rails. A short stand pipe 20 is connected to the cross pipe by an elbow 21 and by means of the T 22 a coupling is made with the spray pipe 23 which has a series of perforations 24 and slots 24 at the outer ends of the spray pipe 23. Some of the jets and slots are positioned to discharge the Water directly downwardly and others are projected rearwardly at an angle of substantially 45. The spray pipe has closure caps 25 at each end.

The manner of supporting the piping system is by means of a bracket 26 connected to the forward end of the tender and supporting the forward end of the lead pipe. A second bracket 27 supports this lead pipe towards its rearward end. A. rectangular-shaped bracket 28 secured to the lower framing of the tender supports the cross pipe 18 and two pair of yoke straps 29 suspended from the framing of the tender and carry the weight of the spray pipe and hold it in rigid and firm position.

It is believed that the manner of installing in a railway car or locomotive shop or termi- The manner of operation of my installation. 7

will be apparent from the above description and as the hand wheel 10=is placed-conven iently close to the cab of the locomotive the fireman or engine driver may readily control.

the globe valve 5 to open and'close same and to regulate the rate of discharge of the water in accordance with the amount required to allay the dust. I r

It isobvious that my invention may be considerably modified to. suit various types of locomotive tenders and'the particular shape of'tanks carried thereby. A feature of my invention however, is the accessibility of the piping system, the control valve and the simple manner of suspending the spray pipes and the cross hanging pipe in a sufiiciently rigid manner from the framing of the tender. Such various changes may be made in my in- 'vention without d'e )artin from the -s irit thereof.

Another use of my invention is in giving a violent spraying to Wooden structures, such as trestles, over which a trainpasses in order to reduce the fire hazard; With my construction,the jet can be turned on full'very quickly on approaching such structure and turned off immediately on leaving ithout undue Waste of water, the water being.dischargedsubstantially in'imediately to the rear of theengine firebox. p Having described my, invention, what I claim is:

A track sprinkler comprising in combination a locomotive tender having a water. tank mountedrona tender frame, a foot plate extending forwardly from the tank, a valve operatirely connected to the forwardend of the tank below the foot plate and outside the tank, a valverod'connectedto the valve-and extending upwardly through thefoot plate and having a guidebracket adjacent the upper. end thereof,- a return bend pipe connected to the valve and leading to one side of; the tank, a lead pipe extending along thetank rearwardly onthe outside thereof, ,a drop pipe at the rearward end of; the lead pipe extending downwardly, a transverse cross pipe extending underneath the tank to a, midposition, a centrally positioned stand pipe connected to the transverse pipe at substair tially a central transverse position of the tank, a transverse spray pipe connectedtto the stand pipe, a rectangular-shaped bracket secured to. the lower framing of the tender, supporting the cross pipe and a. pair of yokes suspended from. the framing of the. tender supporting the spray pipe.

.In testimony whereof'I have signed. my name to this specification.

i WV. H. l/VHALEN 

